Staggering amounts of fentanyl hit streets as the DEA watched and took no action, records show

The DEA permitted hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to enter New Mexico streets between 2023 and 2025, according to agents and records, as part of a strategy to build larger criminal cases against traffickers. Critics argue this approach endangered public safety and may have violated Justice Department guidelines, while the DEA defended its decisions as lawful and resource-constrained.